Jungle Book: Lost Cub
by NoRatCat
Summary: Shortly after Shere Khan's death, Kaa the python finds something new in the jungle, something she had not foreseen. Based on the Netflix film "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.".


Kaa slithered herself through the jungle, silent and unseen. That's how she had always been, how she had survived. For a snake, that's what one needed. From the very moment you hatched, you were on your own.

She knew she had lived longer than most of her kind. The why was never certain. But she was as old as the jungle itself, the eyes that could foresee into the distant past or the distant future. It was that very sight that had foreseen Mowgli's destiny.

It had been a month since Shere Khan's death. The jungle had entered a peace none like it before. His little servant Tabaqui had slunk off during the man cub's fight with the tiger. He hadn't shown his face much, not that he would want to considering he wasn't well liked in the jungle, or even among the other hyenas within the jungle. She had heard he had a sister somewhere, though more than likely she dissociated herself from her less than reputable sibling. Kaa couldn't blame here. Though hyenas were indeed scavengers, there was a proper way of doing it.

With Akela's death, Mowgli had stepped up to take his place. Some of the wolves accepted their new leader, while others held reservations. Of course Kaa knew it would all work out. She had seen Mowgli's destiny, and her sight never strayed from it's intended path. Of course, there were some things that slipped past her. After all, she wasn't omniscient.

A snap of thunder made her pause momentarily. Flicking her tongue out, she could smell it; there was a storm coming. Yet onward she slithered. Not like a little rain would hurt her. Her long body weaved it's way around, going through every path, and finding her own. Yes, tonight had been uneventful, nothing worth noting, and nothing happening.

Yet as she flicked her tongue again, something felt peculiar. Her head raised up as something familiar caught her scent. It was something she had smelt before: the familiar scent of human. However, something about it didn't feel right. She kept herself hidden, moving her way towards the scent.

She had neared herself, growing ever closer, the smell getting stronger. Then when she was as close as she could possibly be, she raised herself up. She wasn't sure what she would face, but if it was dangerous, a little scare could suffice.

Her maw opened up, preparing a potential strike. But then, she stopped. Her eyes grew wide, falling upon what lay before her. She had indeed been right, it was a human. But it wasn't an adult, no it was a cub. The child was small, little older than Mowgli when he had arrived in the jungle, but a cub none the less. And to separate it from Mowgli, it wasn't a boy cub, but a girl cub. Kaa could tell from the child's form. The cub had long black hair, reaching down upon her back. Looking up, the cub stared at the python with her green eyes.

Kaa's own golden peered within the child. They lowered in curiosity. She hadn't foreseen this, even after Khan's death. Of course she didn't see everything at once, but there were glimpses before the full vision presented itself. But there hadn't even been that. She peered closer, staring deep within the child's soul. She looked ahead, and looked back, but she saw nothing. No future, no past.

_Most peculiar._

At this point, there were only two options. The wolves? Of course they would need a form of payment in accordance with jungle law. The man village was another option, of course, she more than likely would live a mundane life there.

Kaa lowered her head down towards the child, her tongue flicking out. The scent presented itself again. Somewhat human, somewhat not. The other scent felt almost...no it couldn't be. That was impossible, they only existed in…

The child made a giggling sound. placing her hand upon the snake's snout. This took Kaa by surprise. She could see in the child's eyes, it wasn't afraid of her.

Kaa's mind was drawing a blank. But something indeed was starting to form. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn it was a third option.

A/N: Okay, this one shot is based on a story idea I have that I hope to write in the future. More to come based on this, but I hope everyone enjoys.


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